English Landscapes and Seascapes - A Photo Gallery

I love to walk across the rolling hills and along the spectacular beaches of the south-west of England, and enjoy photographing the landscape I see around me. I particularly love the quality of light that is only found near the sea, and in the late afternoon and evening shadows. Deep verdant summer and rich autumn colours, trees that are shaped by the elements, and the native flora of ancient landscapes are the things that inspire me. Here I would like to share some of my favourite pictures that I have taken on my west country walks.

The landscape of south-west England has many facets. Much of it is farmland with a random patchwork of small hedge-bordered fields scattered across the countryside; fields of wheat shimmer in the summer breeze and livestock grazes on chalk hills and in meadows. Deciduous woodland and copses provide a sanctuary for native wild flowers and wildlife, and open heathland with purple heathers and gorse create yet another unique habitat. It is also an ancient and historic landscape, with hints of its past occupants dotted about amongst the fields and hills - forgotten country lanes, prehistoric stone circles and round-barrows, iron age hill forts and roman remains remind us of a chequered and sometimes secret history.

The south-west peninsula of Great Britain is made up of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, bordered on the south by the English Channel, and to the west and north by the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

The reflection of light from the sea and the dramatic coastline that has been shaped by the sea and the elements create an area that has inspired generations of artists, poets and seekers of beauty. From towering cliffs and rugged rocks to sheltered sandy bays, the coastline of the south-west is a diverse and dynamic product of nature.

All the pictures in this photo gallery are my own work, taken during 2010 and 2011 with a Nikon Coolpix compact digital camera, and are not edited or enhanced in any way with any photo-editing software. I have never had any photographic training, and am strictly an amateur photographer - I just love to capture beautiful images, and to share them with anybody who is interested.

Please ask for permission if you wish to reproduce any of my pictures, I probably won't mind so long as they are credited to "Imogen French", and are not used for anybody else's commercial gain. Thanks for looking.